Name of Mission Old Dongola MonasteryMission No. QSAP 31InstitutionPolish Centre of Mediterranean ArchaeologyLocationOld Dongola, Northern State

The Monastery of St. Anthony the Great in Dongola once stood at the western edge of the city’s burial grounds, about 1.5 km north-east of the citadel, and was established by one of the first bishops of Dongola, most likely in the 6th century CE. It represents one of the most important monasteries from the Makurian Period, as evidenced by more than 100 murals that have been uncovered so far in different states of preservation, the crypt of Georgios that was built in the 12th century CE, and the chapel of the Archangel Michael. This mission aims to complete the excavations of the monastic complex, restore and conserve the murals, undertake anthropological studies of the tombs, and protect the site against the encroaching sands.